last aftershock we had was a 2.1 centered near american canyon. >> see you at 6:00. >> good night. on the broadcast tonight, the enemy within. nbc news has learned an american has been killed while fighting for isis. amid word of another hostage. an american woman being held for ransom. tonight, u.s. military planes over syria. what lies beneath? more big jolts today in california. as the mammoth cleanup begins, we hear from a young survivor nearly crushed during the quake. seat fight. passengers do battle over personal space, after one blocks the other from reclining on an airplane. a seat blocking device at the center of the controversy. and whale of a tale. we showed you the video. tonight the special bond and the amazing story behind it. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening, brian is off tonight. i'm lester holt. there are several major developments tonight in the fight against islamic state militants. the u.s. for the first time launching warplanes on reconnaissance missions over syria. looking for potential targets in a prelude to possible air strikes against isis strongholds. we also learned told about two young americans caught up in this conflict. one apparently by choice. a 33-year-old midwesterner who was killed as he fought with midwestern militants. the other, a 26-year-old woman an aide worker, apparently being held hostage by that same group. all this as the administration scrambles to keep pace with the growing isis threat. we begin our coverage with chief foreign correspondent richard engel. richard, good evening. >> good evening, lester. president obama was here in

charlotte today, talking about isis. the u.s. is acknowledging what a threat this group has become, and what a magnet it is for foreign fighters, including some americans. the u.s. air campaign in iraq may soon be extended into syria to attack isis. the radical group responsible for killing american reporter james foley. >> america does not forget, our reach is long. we are patient. justice will be done and we'll continue to take action needed to protect our people and to defend our homeland. >> reporter: isis is taking ground in syria. on sunday, attacking a checkpoint held by a syrian opposition group near aleppo. this video filmed by a local cameraman shows that deadly battle. nbc news has learned that one of the isis fighters killed in the battle was an american. this man, 33-year-old douglas

macarthur mccain. nbc has seen pictures far too graphic to show of mccain's body with his distinctive tattoos. his u.s. passport was in his pocket when he died. born in illinois he moved with his family to minnesota. he attended cooper high school. a friend described him as a joker, always smiling. after high school, mccain had several run-ins with the law. nine arrests. at $19, orderly conduct, obstruction of justice, six years later. in 2004, mccain converted to islam. his social media postings went from talk of basketball and pizza to islamist propaganda. he wrote the ominous words, they are coming back, soldiers of allah. this spring, mccain left the

u.s. for turkey, on june 9th, he wrote an alleged isis member to say, i will be joining you guys soon. >> the ranks of isis include many westerners who are converts to islam. who have no ties to the area, who are just like any american. >> reporter: like thousands of other foreign fighters, mccain made his way from istanbul to the syrian border. and then to areas of isis control. he died near a town called morea. isis is a group that kills americans but has some americans fighting alongside it. isis does have some american fighters, it's not known how many. perhaps it's upwards of 70 or 100. the group has at least three known american hostages. we learned today those include a 26-year-old woman, the group says it's willing to negotiate for. it wants $6 million, lester? >> thank you. a new cease-fire has been announced between israel and hamas. under the open ended deal hammered out by egypt. israel will allow more supplies and humanitarian aid into gaza. in several weeks, more talks will begin on complex issues. like israel's demand that hamas

disarm. several previous cease-fires have collapsed. so it's still too early to tell if this one will hold. the death toll in this current conflict so far, 70 israelis and more than 2,100 palestinians. there were more sizable aftershocks in california today, fraying nerves even further, days after that quake did all that damage in and around napa. now, the major cleanup effort begins as we hear for the first time from a young survivor who was nearly crushed to death when the quake struck. nbc's joe fryer is in napa again for us tonight. joe, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. this is one of six places where people can drop off earthquake debris. the pile is huge and the cleanup is just beginning. meanwhile this morning we experienced the biggest aftershock yet. a huge traffic jam today as crews repair roadway damage discovered after another round

of aftershocks including a 3.9 magnitude jolt this morning. >> it is a little frightening, but we're getting used to it. >> reporter: at least 240 patients have been treated for injuries with two still hospitalized. 13-year-old survivor nicholas dillon is welcoming visitors just two days after he was crushed by a fireplace. >> everything happens for a reason, i'm not going to let this get to me, you know, i'm going to recover as fast as i can, and i'm going to be fine. i do feel lucky. i believe if i wouldn't have moved, i could have died. >> reporter: today jimmy reopened his corner store. looking at the orderly shelves, you may have never guessed his place looked this on sunday. >> i got help from family, friends and customers. people from the neighborhood, everybody came in and helped us. that was the only reason we are open today. >> reporter: at least 100 structures have been red tagged, which means they're uninhabitable. >> you just walk around and cry. >> reporter: christina jamison says the damage to her historic house is so bad, it's unclear if

it can be saved. >> i'm a housekeeper for all things. i'm going to have plenty of housekeeping to do. >> reporter: there's no shortage of help here. the salvation army is serving meals at a mobile home park where six homes were destroyed by fire. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: in napa, they're learning the foundation of a community is made of more than concrete. >> when you experience something horrific, it's -- it bonds everyone to come together and help each other out. >> tonight a couple signs of normalcy, all of the power has been restored and nearly all of the schools here in napa valley plan to reopen tomorrow. lester? >> joe fryer, thank you. tonight a big hurricane, category two marie is churning in the pacific. it is not expected to be a direct threat to the u.s., but it is kicking up huge waves at

the beach. drawing crowds, making for a dangerous situation, late today a surfer was killed, pulled from the water unconscious off the costs of malibu, it's still unclear how he died. in the meantime, hurricane cristobal is expected to make a rough and dangerous surf on the east coast. janice huff joins us with more. janice? >> reporter: hurricane cristobal is expected to move between bermuda and the east coast of the u.s. it's not going to make a direct hit. they have a tropical storm watch in effect for the island of bermuda. they'll get very heavy rain maybe, 4 to 6 inches of rain there. the surf will be pretty rough, even though the storm will not make a direct hit, it will stay off shore. it's a category one storm, it should stay that way. the surf will be rough and the rip currents high, from the carolinas all the way into southern new england for the

next couple days. this is a view of hurricane marie. much more impressive storm. it is a category two hurricane. it stays off shore well, it's affecting the waves from baja california all the way into southern california, as you mentioned. the top winds near the center 100 miles an hour. even though it's pretty far offshore and will stay offshore, it's going to keep the seas churning up along the coast until friday. even though you may be tempted to go into the water as an experienced surfer, you may want to stay on land for the next several days. lester, back to you. >> all right, janice, thanks. what could be another piece of evidence has emerged in the police shooting death of michael brown. the unarmed teenager who was killed 17 days ago in ferguson, missouri. it's an audio recording with what appears to be the sound of gunfire. ron allen is in clayton, missouri with more for us. >> reporter: good evening, lester. we met with the attorney for the witness who says he lives in the apartment complex where michael brown was shot and killed. he says at the moment of the shooting he was recording a video text message to send to a friend. we listened to it with a lawyer. we hear what sounds like six gunshots, a pause, and then four more gunshots.

we could not independently verify the audio clip, nor could we talk to the witness himself. the brown family's private autopsy says he was shot at least six times. we know from county prosecutors that the fbi is trying to validate the tape. prosecutors say if it is true and real, it could become a key piece of evidence, one of many the grand jury could hear, deciding whether darren wilson will be charged with a crime in this case or not. lester? >> ron allen, thanks. new developments today in the scandal involving treatment, delays and misconduct at this country's va hospitals and clinics, the report out today by the va's inspector general found no conclusive evidence that delays in care caused deaths of veterans at the va hospital in phoenix. for his part, president obama addressed the scandal again today in a speech to the national convention of the american legion, he promised a new culture of accountability. >> we are going to get to the bottom of these problems. we're going to fix what is wrong, we're going to do right by you and we're going to do right by your families and that

is a solemn pledge and commitment i'm making to you here. [ applause ] >> the president promised better health care for veterans, including greater access to mental health care. now to a big fight in the sky over personal space and that dreaded reclining seat that frequent flyers are all too familiar with. this particular fight forced a commercial flight to make an unscheduled stop. it started when a man attached a seat blocking device to the seat in front of him, preventing the woman in front from reclining. add to that the already cramped cabins and stress of flying, and the situation quickly got out of hand . we get our report tonight from nbc's katy tur. >> reporter: for two passengers on united flight 1462 from newark to denver, a spat over five inches of extra space was all it took to force an emergency landing in chicago. and it all began with a $22 gadget called the knee defender. >> it keeps people from reclining. >> specially designed for coach

class flyers who need protection from reclining seats. officials say a man seated in economy plus was using the device, which attaches to the tray table, to stop the woman in front of him from reclining her seat, try as she might. >> the woman put her seat back into the guy and he shoved it forward and she threw her drink on him. >> reporter: halfway through the flight, the pilot landed the plane. the two unruly passengers escorted off by police. michael cody was a few rows in front of them. >> started acting like a child and throwing a temper tantrum is just inappropriate on all levels, on both of their accounts. >> reporter: if you've flown coach in the last couple decades, where personal space does come at a premium, i mean, you paid for this seat. which is hopefully in the air and not on a street corner. you should be able to recline back as far as you want. really? oh, come on. >> flying is a more stressful experience than it used to be. because it's a smaller space, no snacks, charging for more bags.

>> the faa doesn't prohibit devices like the knee defender. most airlines including united have banned them. spirit airlines and allegiant air have removed the reclining function in their seats all together. >> the main point here is that flying is very stressful. and the thing that's going to keep it from getting out of hand is common courtesy. >> reporter: no charges were filed since the tsa said it was a customer service issue, and not a threat to aviation security. sanity in the sky, that's another story. katy tur, nbc news, new york. burger king made it official today saying it would create a whopper-sized company by buying tim hortons, the canada-based donut and coffee chain. for burger king, it's a chance to make further inroads into the lucrative coffee and breakfast market. the price tag, $11 billion. it shows how valuable that market has become. another sign, warren buffett is buying a $3 billion piece of the company. burger king will relocate to

canada which has lowerer tax rates, a move that some u.s. politicians are criticizing. burger king denies that is the reason for the move. on wall street today, all three averages were up again in what has become a white hot august. the dow gained almost 30 points. nasdaq was up 13. and the s&p gained a couple of points to close above 2,000 for the first time ever. still ahead tonight, record fees as the hotel industry follows the airlines. the fine print that could cost you a lot. and later, the big winners on tv's biggest night.

we're back as promised with a cautionary tale about the

price you pay. we're all familiar with the extra fees that are slapped on to the base price of airline tickets. now the hotel industry has adopted the same practice. we get more on this from nbc's ron mott. >> reporter: if the price of that hotel deal got you to book, brace yourself when you get the bill, because you're likely to see extra charges. merely opening the fridge and moving around the snacks and beverages, for example, could trigger a fee. hotels are raking in new profits. a record $2.25 billion this year in service fees. >> it's a way to keep the rates low. but then charge when guests use services. >> reporter: as experts say, check the fine print. resort fees, things like the pool or gym could add $20 to $50 a day, even if you don't use them. the mini-bar, the $5 soda could cost even more after a restocking fee. want a king bed? it could probably cost you more than a room with two doubles.

cutting a stay short might cost you a full day's rate. your bill, how closely do you check them? >> a few times i've had charges that aren't appropriate. >> they charge you for things you really need sometimes. or they don't tell you about up front. >> you think your room is, you know, $399 a night and you get the bill and it's a completely different price. >> it's cheating the consumer, it doesn't make sense, that's your customers. >> reporter: the american hotel and lodging association says members provide guests full disclosure for all fees charged at the time of booking. how do you minimize these surprises? when making a reservation by phone, ask up front about fees and get the agent's name. look for signs in the room posting extra charges. join a loyalty club which may waive fees. >> it's never been more difficult than it is now to have fees and surcharges removed. >> reporter: so pay attention before you pay the bill. ron mott, nbc news, boston. we're back in a moment with an out of the world phenomenon caught on camera.

more than 15 million people tuned in to watch the biggest stars of prime time television salute each other, and last night it was a big night for some familiar winners at the emmy awards. "modern family" and "breaking bad" repeated as best comedy and best drama. "breaking bad" also nabbed best actor in a drama. bryan cranston has the starring role. and best supporting actor and actress for its final season. "the big bang theory's" jim parsons was a repeat winner as was julia louis-dreyfus for "veep." across the country the class of 2019 is arriving on college campus this is week. and the annual mind-set list has been released. a snapshot of how the 2018s view the world. for these young people pressing pound on the phone is now translated as hit hashtag. for them, bill gates has always been the richest man in the u.s. and they probably never used netscape as their web browser.

and good feedback probably means getting 30 likes on your facebook page in an afternoon. we are being treated to a spectacular light show from space. time lapse video taken from the astronauts aboard the international space station, they cruise to the green lights of an aurora. the hauntingly beautiful effect was created when a giant cloud of gas from the sun collided with earth's magnetic fields. when we come back, the amazing story behind the surprise caught on tape that so many people are sharing.

finally tonight, the story behind some video we first showed you last week. a surprise encounter for some kids and a beluga whale at an aquarium in connecticut. so many people shared the video online. we're hearing from those kids and their families about that moment caught on camera and the bond that brought them together. it's a great story and we get our report now from anne thompson. >> reporter: just listen. [ laughter ] >> reporter: and you'll understand why 5-year-old twins jack and lily donahue say juneau is their favorite creature at the mystic aquarium in connecticut.

>> beluga whale. >> and what did the beluga whale do to you? >> open its mouth to us. >> open its mouth. >> reporter: show me how he opened his mouth. their visit with pal mikey cotton last summer is now a bona fide social media hit. were you are afraid? >> no. >> reporter: juneau may be a whale, but at heart, this 12-year-old is a ham. his antics making a splash on youtube, including some 4 million clicks of juneau bopping to a mariachi band in 2011. [ laughter ] >> reporter: and now this. approaching 1 million views. what do you think of the video? >> i love it. >> it was funny. >> i love it, too. >> so funny. >> reporter: it is a cherished memory for moms who met

in an online support group. lily and mickey suffer from a genetic disorder that prevents their bodies from converting fatty acids into energy. what do you remember about that moment? >> just listening to them laugh and what a wonderful time they were having. >> reporter: juneau's behavior is a sign of stress from living in captivity. >> juneau himself is choosing to interact and engage with the children. >> reporter: has anyone asked for your autograph? >> no. only my dad. [ laughter ] >> reporter: squeals of delight for a creature from the deep. anne thompson, nbc news, mystic, connecticut. that's our broadcast for this tuesday night. thank you for being with us. i'm lester holt in for brian. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.

nbc bay area news begins with breaking news. that breaking news on the roads. two problems creating gridlock during the evening commute, the latest creating headaches for bart riders. our chopper is over the bart station where the station is open, but the trains are not moving to and from there. i'm jessica aguirre. >> and i'm raj mathai. bart is telling us an out of service train somehow damaged the tracks. within the hour, obviously a bad time for a bart stoppage. no trains are going in and out,

at least no trains with passengers. that means bart service between concord and walnut creek has been stopped. now buses are arriving on scene to transfer the hundreds of strapped bart riders to and from walnut creek and concord. those stations, now, no word now on when the stoppage will end. our other breaking new, solano county, a crash has slowed traffic down dramatically. chp tells us three older people were killed when a car missed the offramp and landed in a ditch. the lake herman off ramp will be closed for at least three more hours. the back up is in red on our traffic cam. this is going to be a very congested area, so an area you're going to want to avoid. we're going to continue to follow this breaking story for you throughout our newscast and bring you